Polite society types like Frank Bruni don't face the blunt consequences of reactionary, fascist demagogues. It's easy for him to pontificate about politeness when his life and comfort aren't on line.
People like Bruni confuse invoking the Golden Rule regarding truly evil people with moral evolution. It's not. The necessity of holding to account people like Limbaugh, West, Scalise etc. who lie in order to overthrow the government is the truly moral position. That's what the Nuremburg trials were about. Otherwise, evil will grow and destroy the very disembodied morality that Bruni cares so much about.
As I've stated before, I was there once. Watched his television show and later listened to him on radio. I have, like so many, seen firsthand the lives he poisoned, the families his lies destroyed. Old friendships lost forever because "Rush speaks for me" as one old friend once proudly exclaimed to me. I try not to "hate" but I can't begin to describe the level of anger I feel over the harm he was allowed to cause to us and our nation, all in the pursuit of personal wealth. If there's a Hell, I hope he's rotting in it.
Actually, the problem is that 1) major news networks are giving airtime to the most outrageous liars because it plays well for ratings (in the minds of short-sighted producers for these news shows); 2) these outrageous liars will suffer no consequences from their local voters (would Romney speak so outrageously in this day and times) and 3) Democrats are not gut-punching back. For no. 1, we have solid proof about how "extremism" plays in the Peoria imagined by producers here: https://theconversation.com/46-218-news-transcripts-show-ideologically-extreme-politicians-get-more-airtime-154456. If Democrats were better organized, they'd have their bookers actively working the Sunday show producers and crying foul loudly when they don't get that time. Instead, they're letting the show runners do the selecting. They shouldn't.
I don't watch the Sunday interview shows because they give the GOP license to say whatever they want, and I came over here to share my outrage that elected officials are still parroting the ravings of a malignant narcissist (i.e., demonstrably mentally ill). It's one thing to undermine Democrats the McConnell way, which was horrible enough, but Trump has opened the door to a new level of ongoing sabotage. But your idea of putting the blame on the media is good one. What if the legitimate media (excepting Fox, Newsmax, etc.) stopped allowing legislators who spread the Big Lie on their shows? This is "fire in a crowded theater" speech at this point, and it needs to end. The Golden Rule hasn't worked since 2008--and we all know why that date is important--so the Democrats need to come up with a unified message and hammer it at every opportunity. We haven't dodged fascism yet.
Polite society types like Frank Bruni don't face the blunt consequences of reactionary, fascist demagogues. It's easy for him to pontificate about politeness when his life and comfort aren't on line.
People like Bruni confuse invoking the Golden Rule regarding truly evil people with moral evolution. It's not. The necessity of holding to account people like Limbaugh, West, Scalise etc. who lie in order to overthrow the government is the truly moral position. That's what the Nuremburg trials were about. Otherwise, evil will grow and destroy the very disembodied morality that Bruni cares so much about.
RE: Limbaugh
As I've stated before, I was there once. Watched his television show and later listened to him on radio. I have, like so many, seen firsthand the lives he poisoned, the families his lies destroyed. Old friendships lost forever because "Rush speaks for me" as one old friend once proudly exclaimed to me. I try not to "hate" but I can't begin to describe the level of anger I feel over the harm he was allowed to cause to us and our nation, all in the pursuit of personal wealth. If there's a Hell, I hope he's rotting in it.
Actually, the problem is that 1) major news networks are giving airtime to the most outrageous liars because it plays well for ratings (in the minds of short-sighted producers for these news shows); 2) these outrageous liars will suffer no consequences from their local voters (would Romney speak so outrageously in this day and times) and 3) Democrats are not gut-punching back. For no. 1, we have solid proof about how "extremism" plays in the Peoria imagined by producers here: https://theconversation.com/46-218-news-transcripts-show-ideologically-extreme-politicians-get-more-airtime-154456. If Democrats were better organized, they'd have their bookers actively working the Sunday show producers and crying foul loudly when they don't get that time. Instead, they're letting the show runners do the selecting. They shouldn't.
I don't watch the Sunday interview shows because they give the GOP license to say whatever they want, and I came over here to share my outrage that elected officials are still parroting the ravings of a malignant narcissist (i.e., demonstrably mentally ill). It's one thing to undermine Democrats the McConnell way, which was horrible enough, but Trump has opened the door to a new level of ongoing sabotage. But your idea of putting the blame on the media is good one. What if the legitimate media (excepting Fox, Newsmax, etc.) stopped allowing legislators who spread the Big Lie on their shows? This is "fire in a crowded theater" speech at this point, and it needs to end. The Golden Rule hasn't worked since 2008--and we all know why that date is important--so the Democrats need to come up with a unified message and hammer it at every opportunity. We haven't dodged fascism yet.